A posting of the workshop was in the website of 随笔南洋. As I was getting ready to take part in the One-day Johor Tour organised by 随笔南洋 and did not pay attention to the workshop then. The following day after the trip I read news regarding the workshop and decided to enroll.

On the Monday afternoon when I wanted to enroll for the workshop, it was a heavy downpour. It was a heavy rain again on Tuesday morning. When the rain stopped, I drove to enroll for the workshop. I lost my way in One-North around North Buona Vista. I tried to get out of the maze and finally had to stop near a worksite and pray.

I liked porcelain, especially porcelain vases. When I found anyone I loved and it was not too costly, I would buy it. I used to visit a store where there were many types of porcelain. I bought those porcelains with pink painting of flowers or children. The owner ever recommended me some items. I then bought a costly vase named Comrades-in-arms. On another occasion, I took the recommendation and bought a small plate with the similar design as the bowl I used at childhood.

I am not a professional collector. I will only buy items I love very much and I can afford to pay for it.

I attended the workshop because I would like to know about the blue and white porcelain. I was not going to pay much money in buying them.

I paid great attention to the speaker Professor Fu as I did not know anything about that topic. During break time I showed him a spoon. I told him that it was from the sea and did not mention that it was from the sunken ship. He looked at it very carefully. He said that it was an imitation. He showed me that the spoon was very shinning. I was pleased with the way he observed and the reason he gave. I told him that I would bring some vases to let him see the next day. But the monitor said that he had to discuss with me on that matter. I was very unhappy with the restraint.

I did not bring any vase on the second night. Instead, I brought a tiny vase which I bought in Shanghai in 1984 and a little bowl I used at childhood. I told one of my classmates about that one-inch vase and I showed him on the second night. As it was neither an antique nor a blue and white porcelain, nobody was interested. But for the bowl I used when I was young, it was considered as an antique.

One of the classmates asked me about the vase I would bring to show Professor Fu. I told her that I did not bring. She asked me to bring them to class the next day. I was pleased to hear that. I said that I would if possible. I would be very happy if the professor asked me to do so.

I paid about ten dollars for a vase. Would I pay to authenticate them? How much would be the fee? If it was the same as the price I paid for the vase, then we were looking down the professional of Professor Fu. If the fee was much more than the price, what was the purpose for me to do so? I did not need any certificate of authentication!

One the third day, I bought a few items. They were a vase, a cup, a bowl I used during childhood, a bowl I was using and a plate. I requested a classmate to see the cup. He explained the design of the cup and painting on the cup showed that it was imitated. He was a collector. He said that the painting on the bowl was printed by machine. That was the reason that he appreciated the antique which was painted by hand. I was grateful with his explanation.

I was grateful to Professor Fu who told us various aspects to look for. He imparted his knowledge to us as much as he could. I was also very happy with the classmate who gave me a less-than-10-minute explanation of the cup I had.

Many of us gave a thanksgiving dinner to the speaker after the last day's workshop. We had a fruitful dialogue at the table.

A classmate said that we had attended an appreciation workshop instead of authentication workshop. Another classmate said that we should see some imitates to see the difference. That was the way of learning.

When Professor Fu mentioned that certain porcelains were hardly found in Mainland China. I thought there might be quite a number of them buried deeply under the ground. Those collectors might bury them quietly during the Cultural Revolution. If they survived, they might not dare to dig them out. The saying of not to put all one's eggs in one basket was true.

I bought a plate and a spoon from a fine arts shop in Indonesia and I thought they were from the sunken ship.

That shop displayed many fine arts items which included antique cameras and household articles. I ever bought a piece of "man underwear" and later confirmed that it was a koteka, a penis sheath worn by native.

The generosity in imparting knowledge of Professor Fu and the willingness in sharing the special skill of a classmate made me worth spending time for that workshop.